Loose-leaf-book back.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

w. J. SCHULTZ.- LOOSE LEAF BOOK BACK.

-APPLIUATION FILED MAYB. 1905.

WILLIAM J. SCHULTZ, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

LOOSE-LEAF-BOOK BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed May 8, 1905. Serial No. 259,448.

To 0 7,], whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf-Book Backs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of my specification.

My invention relates to what is known as a loose-leaf ledger, of the flat back descrip ti on, and has to do with the back itself, and its method of operation.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that will permit of the ready addition or withdrawal of a leaf or leaves from the book, as occasion requires; the device of course being so constructed as to adapt itself to a varying number of leaves.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view of one end of the device taken on the line :cac of Fig. 4.; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a book with my improved back, and showing the key in place, whereby the mechanism is released to permit of the back being distended; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the casing and mechanism with the cover portion of the book removed; Fig. 4 is an inside elevation of the same with the right hand end shown in section; Fig. 5 is a view of one of the ends of the casing looking at it from the inside; Fig. 6 is a view taken from either the top or bottom of the book shown in Fig. 2, with a portion of the cover and leaves broken away, and the leather covering omitted; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of one end of the back shown in Fig. 4, to show the locking mechanism. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cover member or channel B, the same being shown turned upwardly, so as to disclose the screw-holes in the ends thereof, and without the binding.

Like letters of reference indicate identical parts in the respective figures.

The outside casing or flat back is composed of the two parts A, and A, the one adapted to take onto the other. The two sections of the casing are provided with ends adapted to telescope, that is, the one to fit within the other. The ends on the sectional casing A are formed by bending the ends up are smaller in dimensions to it within the ends of the other casing A. The ends of the section A are of course so formed as to leave a space between the bent-down portion of the end and the casing proper, so that the sectional casing A may slide back and forth on the casing A, while its ends takeinto the ends of the section A. Each section is also provided at a suitable point with the attaching rods or tubes a, and a, which can be seen in Fig. 4. These tubes are arranged to telescope, and it is to them that the leaves of the book are secured, by having these tubes or rods pass through perforations in the leaves at points registering with the tubes. These tubes are provided with a coil-spring b, as can be seen in Fig. 4 (where one of the tubes is shown in section), whose purpose is to throw the sections apart when the locking mechanism is released.

Secured within the ends of the casing A, as seen in Fig, 1 is the rack c, which is secured to the side of the casing by the two screws shown. This rack extends the full width of the sectional casing A. Pivotally secured within the ends of the other section A is the lever d pivoted at the point d, see Fig. 1, whose one end extends out through the opening 6 in the sectional casing A. The other end of this lever d takes into and engages with the detent or pawl f which is normally held in mesh with the rack c by the spring g. I prefer to construct the detent or pawl f with an opening in its lower end into which the spring 9 may take. It will be seen that with the detent or pawl f in the position shown in Fig. 1, and it being understood that a similar rack and pawl is provided atthe opposite end of the casing, that it will be impossible to pull the sectional casing apart without operating the levers d. Pivotally secured to the outside of the sectional casing A are bell-crank-levers h, h, see Fig. 3, which take over the ends of the levers d, as can be seen in Fig. 3. Secured to the other ends of the bell-crank-levers 71,, h are the rods j, j, which preferably have a slot and pin connection with the bell-crank-levers. These rods j, j at their other ends, are pivotally secured to the rotatably mounted disk 7c. The pivotal point for this disk is is extended, as can be seen at Z, see Fig. 4, to receive the key m, which is provided with the points which take into the two holes a of the disk 7c. The key having its bearing on the pin Z, when inserted in place, will, when turned, also turn with it the disk 76, which in turn, will pull on the rods 'I It j, y, oscillating the bell-crank-levers 7L, 7i, which will swing the levers d on their pivotal points d, and pull the detent or pawl f out of mesh with the rack c, whereupon the springs b in the telescopic tubes'a, a, will expand and throw the sectional casing apart. In order that the disk 7c together with the rods j, 7' may be returned to their normal position, I provide the spring 0, one end of which is secured at 0 to the wall of the casing, while its other end is secured to the farther side of the disk lc. In order to keep the spring out of the way of the keyholes, I provide the disk Ir with the shoulder it" against which the spring takes. To prevent the action of the spring from pulling the disk 7c out of its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, I provide the stop 1), see Fig. 3, against which the rod y" takes. This will keep the disk 7c with the key openings in proper alinement with the opening in the escutcheon, which is placed in the outside covering of the casing, as seen in Fig. 2.

In order that the sectional casing may not pull apart when the detents or pawls are released, I provide the slotted-piece 7, see Fig. 5, which is secured to the side wall of the casing A. Taking into the slotted-pieces 'I is the headed stud s, which is secured to the end of the casing A.

If it is desired, the slotted piece 1", together with the headed stud 8 may be omitted, as the sectional casing will be prevented from coming entirely apart by reason of the bentdown end of the rack c in each of the hooded ends of the casing, which bent-down end extends suliiciently to prevent the passage of the detents or pawlsf. While the detents or pawls f can be depressed by the levers d sufficiently to disengage them from the racks 0, these pawls f cannot be depressed enough to permit of their passage past the bent-- down ends of the racks 0, so that the construction of racks employed, together with the pawls, will of themselves form a locking mechanism to prevent the sectional casing from being disconnected. The slotted piece 1 and headed stud s are simply shown, and may be used, merely as an additional precaution if desired.

The pawl f is provided on each of its sides with a groove 1), see Fig. 1 into which the ends of the hooded end on the sectional casing A take; these ends are bent at right angles as seen at t, t, in Fig. 7, and form a-guideway for the pawl, and thus insure a direct engagement of the pawl with the rack. If some such guide-way were not provided, the pawl would be very apt, by reason of the action of the spring, to bind.

Secured to the sides of the sectional casing, by screws or otherwise, are the sections or 'members B, to which the covers are secured.

The members B arepreferably constructed of a metallic channel whose ends are closed by soldering therein, or in any other way securing a right-angular plate against which the sides of the sectional casing may take and be secured thereto by screws as shown in the drawing (Figs. 2 and 6). This metallic channel with its closed ends, is then'bound in the binding with which the covers are bound, so that the binding for the covers will also constitute the hinge therefor. The construction of the channel and its ends can more clearly be seen in Fig. 8. It is understood also, that after the back members B have been put in place, and the covers secured to it, that the covers and back members are suitably bound in leather or other material, giving the book 'a finished appearance.

The outside member A of the sectional casing can also be provided at its center with the card receiver or holder, C.

' I have described the ends of the sectional casing as being formed by bending a portion of the ends of the casing upon themselves, but it will be readily understood that these hooded ends might be separately made and secured by solder or any other means to the ends-of the sectional casing, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to ghe exact construction shown and described,

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters'Patent, is 1- 1. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, said sections being provided with telescopic attaching tubes, springs within said tubes, hooded ends on said sections, the ends on the one section taking within the ends of the other, the one set of ends provided with a rack, a spring-controlled pawl Within the ends of the other section and normally in mesh with the racks, means secured within the ends containing the pawls and in operative connection with the latter, bell-crank-levers pivoted to the side of one of said sections and pivoted to means within 2. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, attaching tubes secured to each of said sections and adapted to telescope, said tubes provided with springs tendmg to expand said casing, hooded ends provided on each of said sections, the ends on the one section taking within the ends of the other, a pawl and rack secured within said ends and normally held in mesh, pivoted levers secured within said ends and connected their normal position.

3. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, attaching tubes secured to each of said sections and adapted to telescope, said tubes provided with springs tending to expand said casing, hooded ends provided on each of said sections, the ends on the one section taking within the ends of the other, a rack secured within each of said ends, a pawl having the end opposite its pointed or engaging end recessed, a spiral spring adapted to enter said recess and bear against said pawl and the adjacent wall of the sectional casing whereby said pawl is caused to engage said rack at direct right angles thereto and said pawl and rack are normally held in mesh, pivoted levers secured within said ends and loosely connected to said pawls, the other ends of the pivoted levers extending to the outside of the casing, and means for operating said levers.

4. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing composed of two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, said sectional casing provided with telescopic ate taching tubes or rods, hooded ends secured to each section of said casing, the ends of the one section taking within the ends of the other, a rack secured within one set of said ends, a spring-controlled pawl secured within the other set of said ends, said set of ends formed to provide a guideway for said pawl which is normally held in mesh with the rack, and means secured to said pawls and extending to the outside of the casing whereby the pawls may be thrown out of mesh with the rack, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

5. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing composed of two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, said sectional casing provided with telescopic attaching tubes or rods, each of said sections provided with hooded ends, the ends on the one section adapted 'to take Within the ends of the other section, racks secured within one set or" said ends, spring-controlled pawls secured within the other set of said ends, the pawls provided with grooves in their sides into which a portion oi the ends take to form guide-ways,the pawls norm ally held in mesh with the racks, and means secured to said pawls and extending to the outside of the casing whereby the pawls may be thrown out of mesh with the rack, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

6. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, attaching tubes secured to each of said sections and adapted to telescope, said tubes provided with springs tending to expand said casing, hooded ends provided on each of said sections, the ends on the one section taking within the ends of the other, a pawl and rack secured within said ends and normally held in mesh, pivoted levers secured within said ends and connected with said pawls, the other ends of the pivoted levers extending to the outside of the casing, a rotatably mounted disk on one side of said casing, bell-crank-levers pivoted to said casing and to said pivoted levers, rods slidably pivoted to said bell-crank-levers and pivoted to said rotatably mounted disk whereby upon the turning of the disk the pivoted levers are-rocked and the pawls and racks disengaged, and means for returning said disk and pivoted levers to their normal positions.

7. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, attaching tubes secured to each of said sections and adapted to telescope, said tubes provided with springs tending to expand said casing, hooded ends provided on each of said sections, the ends of the one section taking within the ends of the other, a rack secured within each of said ends, a pawl having the end opposite its pointed or engaging end recessed, a spiral spring adapted to enter said recess and bear against said pawl and the adjacent wall of the'sectional casing whereby said pawl is caused to engage said rack at direct right-angles thereto, and

said pawl and rack are normally held in mesh, pivoted levers secured within said ends and loosely connected with said pawls, the other ends of the pivoted levers extending to the outside of the casing, a rotatably mounted disk on one side of said casing, bell-crank-levers secured to said casing and connected with the pivoted levers and said disk whereby, upon the turning of the disk the levers are rocked and the pawls and racks disengaged, and means for returning said disk and levers to their normal position, substantially as shown and for purpose described.

8. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, attaching tubes secured to one of said sections and adapted to telescope, said tubes provided with springs tending to expand said casing, hooded ends provided. on each of said sections, the ends of the one section taking within the ends of the other, a pawl and rack secured within said ends and normally held. in mesh, pivoted levers secured within said ends and connected with said pawls, the other ends of the pivoted levers extending to the outside of the casing,

' a rotatably mounted disk on one side of said casing, bell-crank-levers secured to said casing and connected with the pivoted levers and said disk, whereby upon the turning of the disk the levers are rocked and the pawls and racks disengaged, a slotted piece and rectangular stud secured to said sections respectively whereby said sections are held from disengagement, and means for returning said disk and levers to their normal position, substantially as shown and for the'pur pose described.

9. A loose-leaf book-back comprising a casing in two sections, the one adapted to take upon the other, attaching tubes secured to one of said sections and adapted to telescope, said tubes provided with springs tending to expand said casing, hooded ends provided on each of said sections, the ends on the one section taking within the ends of the other, a pawl and rack secured within said ends and normally held in mesh, pivoted levers secured within said ends and connected with said pawls, the other ends of the pivoted levers extending to the outside of the casing, means for operating said levers, and a slotted piece and rectangular stud secured to said sections respectively, whereby said sections are held from disengagement.

l/VILLIAM J. SCHULTZ. Vitnesses JOSEPH R. RoHRER, EDWARD BETTIS. 

